Resilience prevails amid Osborne's bleak choices

First, there is the raid on families themselves. Real-terms cuts to child benefit, child tax credits and maternity benefit, as well as to Jobseeker’s Allowance and income support, will make families who are already vulnerable more desperate still. The demand on food banks this Christmas illustrates the current plight. Further hardship will only increase the strain on public services as families struggle to cope financially, emotionally and mentally.

And what of those services? It is the familiar story of shrinking resources against the backdrop of escalating need. Local government budgets are to be walloped by another £445m in 2014/15, while the Department for Education will be subject to a £155m cut next year and £305m the year after that. The schools budget at the DfE has been protected to help address the population boom in primary schools, but this will leave funding for all other children’s and families’ services to shoulder these cuts.

Neglect and abuse in its various forms will become harder and harder to address, as will efforts to intervene early to prevent costlier problems, no matter how much smarter, leaner, more collaborative and results-focused our services become.

Pain was inevitable from the autumn statement. However, the choices that have been made were a long way from inevitable. Looking at income distribution, households across the bottom 50 per cent and the top 10 per cent of the population will lose out as a result of the choices made, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, meaning others towards the top end of the income spectrum remain relatively unscathed. Pensions, too are untouched. So we are, after all, not in this together. If the decisions announced in Osborne’s statement contained a measure of political expediency, then next year’s comprehensive spending review – which will detail plans that take us beyond the date of the next general election – is likely to do so even more, coalition tensions notwithstanding. As for the opposition, we await a coherent alternative.

Nonetheless, while the big picture gets bleaker and bleaker, huge triumphs continue to occur on the ground in enabling children and young people to reach their full potential. The 2012 Children & Young People Now Awards, unveiled on 29 November, demonstrated how commitment, resilience and a never-say-die attitude can win the day and transform young lives. The finalists and winners have all provided an important ray of light and a heartening climax to this year.

This is, indeed, our final edition of the year. The next edition is published on 8 January, but you can continue to follow the latest news from across the sector on cypnow.co.uk. Enjoy the Christmas break and see you in 2013.

ravi.chandiramani@markallengroup.com